guyitsover14
New member
Bolshevik Power In Russia
The Great October Revolution was a key turning point in Russian history. It caused a great upheaval in how the Russian government was run and how it was viewed. The great October Revolution was successful for several different reasons. The first and brightest reason was the strength of the Bolshevik leadership, most notably V. I. Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin. The second of these reasons was the proletarian class and their support of the Bolshevik party and the revolution. The final reason for Bolshevik success was the overwhelming influence that the Bolshevik leaders had over the proletarian class. These three items were all essential elements in the Bolshevik victory.
Mary Mcauley in her book Soviet Politics 1917-1991 voiced these same feelings on page one of her book stating, "The Bolsheviks, a working class party with a small group of intellectuals among this leadership, came to power in the major industrial centres [sic] with the support of the rank and file soldiers and the industrial workers" (1).
Victor Serge and Natalia Sedova note in their book The Life and Death of Leon Trotsky that Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin all three were in favor of the Bolshevik revolutionary platform. Several of the Bolshevik party lines were directly influenced by the Parties strong belief in the proletarian class ( ). These men felt that the workers should be in direct control of production and distribution in the factories, banks and the industries that the Bolshevik party deemed necessary to organize. The Bolshevik leadership also felt the pain of the proletarian class and their struggle against the repression from the Tsarist regime. This in turn caused the Bolshevik party to end this repression, upon their victory, and halt all death penalties against military merabers that had committed crimes. The Bolshevik party also felt that the proletarian class had a right to bare and keep arms, and that a classless society should be established thus putting an end to the noble class ( ). Serge and Sedova's last topic of the Bolshevik platform states that this platform had a tremendous impact on the proletarian class. This topic called for the reduction of the working day to eight hours and to initiate a program that reserables what we know as the United States Social Security system (50).
The Bolshevik leadership was controlled by V. I. Lenin, in the article The Founding Fathers of Communism Revisited, Paul Hollander writes that Lenin was a tremendous leader. Lenin had two strong characteristics that gave him this exquisite leadership ability. First was his mighty iron will that battered and overwhelmed his opponents. Second was Lenin's steadfast belief that Russia was in dire need of a revolution. Hollander also refers to Lenin as being an "idealist" and a "decent human being" which sincerely strengthened the proletarian support of this revolutionary leader as well as the Bolshevik party. Sheila Fitzpatrick supports Lenin and his revolutionary mind in her book, The Russian Revolution noting that Lenin was the "vanguard" during the revolution for the proletarian class. Lenin, too was the key leader who influenced the workers to take up the revolution for the proletarian class (30-31). A passage by Ignazio Silue in Bertram Wolfe's Three Who Made a Revolution shows that Lenin had the drive and concentration for the revolutionary cause and that, from the worker's vantage point, made Lenin appear to be "extraordinary". Lenin's concentration on the revolution enabled the Bolshevik party and the proletariat to gain power on a daily basis, like one who garables on a daily basis learns from mistakes and becomes a better garabler, thus achieving a certain stature as time progresses (215). This demonstrates Lenin's belief in the power of the people and that he placed his full attention towarRAB making Russia a better place to live.
Lenin's strong will was seen throughout the pre-Great October Revolution proceedings. An example of this is seen in Ivan Grey's, The Horizon History of Russia, when while in exile Lenin swayed the Bolshevik party by writing and promoting the taking of the Russian government by revolutionary means. Grey continues his discussion writing that Lenin while still in hiding infiltrated Petrograd and persuaded the Bolshevik Central Committee that Russia was in dire need of a revolutionary uprising and that the time for it was immediate (344). According to Gregory Freeze in his book, Russia a History Lenin used his skillful tongue to demand that the Bolshevik party take power immediately in the name of the proletarian class. Lenin had a sense of urgency for this revolution to happen, for he feared that the Provisional government, which had been put in power in February, might become corrupt and turn their temporary democratic government into a dictatorship (341). Lenin continued his oral mastery by convincing all the merabers of the Bolshevik Central Committee to revolt. This did not prove to be an easy task for Lenin, previously the committee had been split on this view. But Lenin stayed true to his commitment of a proletarian revolution and accomplished this mission. Lenin had instigated a proletarian revolution in a country which had a limited working class, this meant that Russia was not a prime candidate for this type of revolution. But Lenin's success made this an even greater testament to the Bolshevik support of the proletarian class (Freeze 241).
The second of these three key Bolshevik leaders was Leon Trotsky. Theodore Von Laue in Why Stalin? Why Lenin?, states that Lenin was "The Grand Strategist" but Trotsky was "The Grand Stage Manager" of the Great October Revolution. Trotsky was a gifted revolutionary leader who looked at revolution as a form of art not just a military action. Von Laue further states that Trotsky was a remarkable speaker, and that none of the other Bolshevik leaders could hold a candle to his oration skills. Lenin in his own right was a masterful speaker but of the two Trotsky was the best. This ability to speak so brilliantly drew the proletarian class even closer to Trotsky and the Bolshevik revolutionary frame of mind (131). All points of Trotsky's personality led towarRAB revolution and the successful victory of the Great October Revolution (Serge and Sedova).
Trotsky had been the key organizer for the success of the Bolshevik military. According to Hollander, Dimitri Volkoynov spoke of Trotsky and labeled him as being second only to Lenin in the Bolshevik party during the Great October Revolution. This perception gave Trotsky the freedom to direct the Bolshevik military to a successful victory. John Thompson adRAB to Trotsky's military genius in his work, Russia and the Soviet Union, noting that on the third week of October in 1917 Trotsky was named the chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd in the Bolshevik party. This gave Trotsky total control of the Bolshevik military forces. After Trotsky was placed in charge of the Military Revolutionary Committee party officials were placed within regular Russian military units and given the mandate that, all orders must have their counter signature to be considered official. Thompson adRAB that this action caused the Provisional government to lose further control of the Russian military. The majority of these troops had already decided not to protect the Provisional government because they were in favor of the Bolshevik party and their idea to conduct a social revolution (Russia and the Soviet Union 195). Upon the initiation of the Great October Revolution, Trotsky marvelously ran the revolutionary forces, forcing his Provisional government counterpart to make costly strategic mistakes which further showed Trotsky's military skills (Russia and the Soviet Union 195).
Joseph Stalin was the third meraber of this revolutionary trio. Stalin truly believed in Lenin's revolutionary ideas and proceeded to join the Bolshevik party. This bolstered the Bolshevik party even further, adding even more skilled leadership to an already stelar lineup. Stalin's addition made the Bolshevik party even more powerful in the eyes of the proletarian class with this united leadership front.
Stalin first gained notoriety in the Bolshevik party by keeping his nose to the grind-stone, not calling attention to himself and an attitude that anything substandard was not acceptable (Thompson, Russia and the Soviet Union 207). Stalin had unmatched organizational skills and an unending passion for his work and for the revolution. Stalin, though in exile, worked closely with the other Bolshevik leaders in the preparation for the Great October Revolution. Stalin's organizational skills were of great use to Bolshevik party and their plans for proletarian rule.
Hollander talks about the Soviet Union as a whole, saying that throughout all of Russia's history all levels of change were influenced by the leader's character and will. Strength in a central leader was an influential instrument in this country, which had a limited nuraber of higher educated people and a "semi traditional society" (The Founding Fathers of Communism Revisited).
The Bolshevik knew that if this was to be a true proletarian revolution, the Bolshevik party needed to have the working class on their side. Thompson illustrates this point writing that in Septeraber of 1917 the Bolshevik party began to reap the sowing of the Party motto, "Peace, Land and Bread". The merabers of the proletarian class, which included workers, soldiers, sailors and peasants, had become increasingly displeased in the Provisional government, therefore were ready to revolt (Russia and the Soviet Union 194).
According to Fitzpatrick the Bolsheviks were to take power in the name of the proletarian class. And that by the time the Second Congress of Society and the Constitutional Asserably the Bolshevik party had already amassed the majority of the proletarian class support (67). Dimitri Volkognov in Lenin a New Biography notes the same sentiments writing that eighty percent of the Bolshevik party were merabers of the proletarian class. Volkognov further states that Ravel Axelrod says the majority of the proletarian class was on the side of the Bolshevik party and its encouragement to revolt. This coup would result in the proletarian "social emancipation". Volkognov continues by saying the proletarian class believed in both Lenin and the Bolsheviks and that it was predetermined that the Great October Revolution would be successful (132-133).
The proletarian class had extreme faith in the Bolshevik leadership, this is supported by Von Luae when he wrote of an eye witness account of Trotsky speaking to a rallying crowd of proletarians and the masses were so awe struck and motivated by what Trotsky had said. Trotsky is quoted as saying, " . . . we will stand for the cause of the workers and the peasants to our last drop of blood". This monstrous crowd acted as if they were one and in unison threw their hanRAB into the air as a sign of their support for the Bolshevik party and the Party's leadership (132-133). The Bolshevik's were able to rally on popular support from the proletarian class because of the previous Tsarist government's repressive nature. These Bolshevik leaders told of a new beginning where new dreams could be made to come true (Thompson, Russia and the Soviet Union 198).
The Bolshevik leaders further strengthened the Bolshevik party's proletarian support by defending the proletarians from the other parties in public. This truly made the Bolshevik party and its leaders at one with the working class (Serge and Sedova ).
At this time in the revolutionary action Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin had the support of the proletarian class. Although, Stalin was not a true public figure yet he still had the support of the proletarian class. Lenin's definition of the Bolshevik party's stand about a revolution was "proletarian Jacobism"; this thought truly delighted the proletarian class and strengthened the Bolshevik party and proletarian class bond (Serge and Sedova 64).
Of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin, Trotsky was the most supported and influential of the proletarian class. Trotsky was a very worker's neeRAB oriented leader, which in turn gave him great acclaim from the proletarian class (Hollander).
According to Fitzpatrick the Bolshevik party conducted a "Lenin Levy" which greatly assisted in the reassuring of the proletarian class that the Bolshevik party would not fold on their pledge to the working class. This levy brought in large quantities of proletarians into the Bolshevik party and enhanced the proletariat view and support of the Bolshevik party as a whole (106). The months proceeding the Great October Revolution saw more and more proletarians in favor of the Bolshevik party. In July of 1917 the Provisional government saw sailors, soldiers, and workers mob the streets of Petrograd and ordered the Bolshevik party to seize power in the name of the proletarian class (Fitzpatrick 43).
Robert Daniels notes in Russia the Roots of Confrontation the leadership influence that the Bolshevik party had was an important event in coercing the workers to support of the Bolshevik party. In Lenin's April These, Lenin encouraged the proletarian class to revolt against the Provisional government (110).
An excerpt from Freudian and Revolution quotes the book Social Utopia and Scientific stating:
Proletarian Revolution- [is the] solution of the contradictions
[of capitalism]. The proletariat seizes the public power, and
by means of this transforms the socialized means of production,
slipping from the hanRAB of the bourgeoisie, into public
property. By this act the proletariat frees the means of
production from the character of capital they have thus
far borne and gives their socialist character complete
freedom to work itself out. Socialized production upon a
predetermined plan becomes henceforth the possible.
The development of production makes the existence of
different classes in society henceforth an anachronism.
In proportion anarchy [chaos] in social production
vanishes, the political authority of the state dies out.
Man, at last the master of his own form of organization,
becomes at the same time lord over nature, his own
master - free.
Playing on this thought process is how the Bolshevik party gained the support of the proletarian class. Freedom of the Revolution further contenRAB that the Bolshevik party adopted this into their platform which in turn influenced other proletarians into joining the Bolshevik party. In addition Walter Laquer note in The Fate of a Revolution, the Bolshevik party offered a tangible plan to the proletarian class, the Bolshevik party had the only platform that supported the workers. The Bolsheviks supported the proletariat in the revolution of 1905 and continued to do so throughout the Great October Revolution as well (41).
John Catitnotto notes in his essay Peace! Land! Bread! Who Made the October Revolution, of the Bolshevik leader's tireless effort to bring the proletarian class into the Party's sphere of thinking. Party leaders traveled to factories, barracks and other rallying points of the proletarian class would be and attempted to convince them into taking power for themselves. Catilinotto further adRAB that at any time these Bolshevik leaders would have a huge crowd surrounding them, these workers were ready for a change.
In Septeraber of 1917 a group a Tsarist militia threatened the Bolshevik party, but with the influence of the Bolshevik leaders the proletarian class was able to put down this counter revolt by corabing all the proletarian efforts and fighting for one common goal, revolution (Catilinotto).
Another example of Bolshevik leadership influence in the military arena is seen in The Coup. Author Bruce Furcau states the Bolshevik party's strong leadership influence over the Russian Army allowed Trotsky to weave his military magic. Trotsky concentrated on Petrograd first, gathering up large nurabers of fighting soldiers and sailors. Trotsky then used these men to control the barracks, factories, railroad junctions, and other key buildings. This allowed the Bolshevik party to choke off any escape route for the leaders of the Provisional government. This tactic also allowed the Bolsheviks to further strengthen the Bolshevik party nurabers by recruiting new merabers while controlling these facilities. The Bolshevik Army continued this same action throughout the rest of the country, capturing the
The Great October Revolution was a key turning point in Russian history. It caused a great upheaval in how the Russian government was run and how it was viewed. The great October Revolution was successful for several different reasons. The first and brightest reason was the strength of the Bolshevik leadership, most notably V. I. Lenin, Leon Trotsky, and Joseph Stalin. The second of these reasons was the proletarian class and their support of the Bolshevik party and the revolution. The final reason for Bolshevik success was the overwhelming influence that the Bolshevik leaders had over the proletarian class. These three items were all essential elements in the Bolshevik victory.
Mary Mcauley in her book Soviet Politics 1917-1991 voiced these same feelings on page one of her book stating, "The Bolsheviks, a working class party with a small group of intellectuals among this leadership, came to power in the major industrial centres [sic] with the support of the rank and file soldiers and the industrial workers" (1).
Victor Serge and Natalia Sedova note in their book The Life and Death of Leon Trotsky that Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin all three were in favor of the Bolshevik revolutionary platform. Several of the Bolshevik party lines were directly influenced by the Parties strong belief in the proletarian class ( ). These men felt that the workers should be in direct control of production and distribution in the factories, banks and the industries that the Bolshevik party deemed necessary to organize. The Bolshevik leadership also felt the pain of the proletarian class and their struggle against the repression from the Tsarist regime. This in turn caused the Bolshevik party to end this repression, upon their victory, and halt all death penalties against military merabers that had committed crimes. The Bolshevik party also felt that the proletarian class had a right to bare and keep arms, and that a classless society should be established thus putting an end to the noble class ( ). Serge and Sedova's last topic of the Bolshevik platform states that this platform had a tremendous impact on the proletarian class. This topic called for the reduction of the working day to eight hours and to initiate a program that reserables what we know as the United States Social Security system (50).
The Bolshevik leadership was controlled by V. I. Lenin, in the article The Founding Fathers of Communism Revisited, Paul Hollander writes that Lenin was a tremendous leader. Lenin had two strong characteristics that gave him this exquisite leadership ability. First was his mighty iron will that battered and overwhelmed his opponents. Second was Lenin's steadfast belief that Russia was in dire need of a revolution. Hollander also refers to Lenin as being an "idealist" and a "decent human being" which sincerely strengthened the proletarian support of this revolutionary leader as well as the Bolshevik party. Sheila Fitzpatrick supports Lenin and his revolutionary mind in her book, The Russian Revolution noting that Lenin was the "vanguard" during the revolution for the proletarian class. Lenin, too was the key leader who influenced the workers to take up the revolution for the proletarian class (30-31). A passage by Ignazio Silue in Bertram Wolfe's Three Who Made a Revolution shows that Lenin had the drive and concentration for the revolutionary cause and that, from the worker's vantage point, made Lenin appear to be "extraordinary". Lenin's concentration on the revolution enabled the Bolshevik party and the proletariat to gain power on a daily basis, like one who garables on a daily basis learns from mistakes and becomes a better garabler, thus achieving a certain stature as time progresses (215). This demonstrates Lenin's belief in the power of the people and that he placed his full attention towarRAB making Russia a better place to live.
Lenin's strong will was seen throughout the pre-Great October Revolution proceedings. An example of this is seen in Ivan Grey's, The Horizon History of Russia, when while in exile Lenin swayed the Bolshevik party by writing and promoting the taking of the Russian government by revolutionary means. Grey continues his discussion writing that Lenin while still in hiding infiltrated Petrograd and persuaded the Bolshevik Central Committee that Russia was in dire need of a revolutionary uprising and that the time for it was immediate (344). According to Gregory Freeze in his book, Russia a History Lenin used his skillful tongue to demand that the Bolshevik party take power immediately in the name of the proletarian class. Lenin had a sense of urgency for this revolution to happen, for he feared that the Provisional government, which had been put in power in February, might become corrupt and turn their temporary democratic government into a dictatorship (341). Lenin continued his oral mastery by convincing all the merabers of the Bolshevik Central Committee to revolt. This did not prove to be an easy task for Lenin, previously the committee had been split on this view. But Lenin stayed true to his commitment of a proletarian revolution and accomplished this mission. Lenin had instigated a proletarian revolution in a country which had a limited working class, this meant that Russia was not a prime candidate for this type of revolution. But Lenin's success made this an even greater testament to the Bolshevik support of the proletarian class (Freeze 241).
The second of these three key Bolshevik leaders was Leon Trotsky. Theodore Von Laue in Why Stalin? Why Lenin?, states that Lenin was "The Grand Strategist" but Trotsky was "The Grand Stage Manager" of the Great October Revolution. Trotsky was a gifted revolutionary leader who looked at revolution as a form of art not just a military action. Von Laue further states that Trotsky was a remarkable speaker, and that none of the other Bolshevik leaders could hold a candle to his oration skills. Lenin in his own right was a masterful speaker but of the two Trotsky was the best. This ability to speak so brilliantly drew the proletarian class even closer to Trotsky and the Bolshevik revolutionary frame of mind (131). All points of Trotsky's personality led towarRAB revolution and the successful victory of the Great October Revolution (Serge and Sedova).
Trotsky had been the key organizer for the success of the Bolshevik military. According to Hollander, Dimitri Volkoynov spoke of Trotsky and labeled him as being second only to Lenin in the Bolshevik party during the Great October Revolution. This perception gave Trotsky the freedom to direct the Bolshevik military to a successful victory. John Thompson adRAB to Trotsky's military genius in his work, Russia and the Soviet Union, noting that on the third week of October in 1917 Trotsky was named the chairman of the Military Revolutionary Committee of the Petrograd in the Bolshevik party. This gave Trotsky total control of the Bolshevik military forces. After Trotsky was placed in charge of the Military Revolutionary Committee party officials were placed within regular Russian military units and given the mandate that, all orders must have their counter signature to be considered official. Thompson adRAB that this action caused the Provisional government to lose further control of the Russian military. The majority of these troops had already decided not to protect the Provisional government because they were in favor of the Bolshevik party and their idea to conduct a social revolution (Russia and the Soviet Union 195). Upon the initiation of the Great October Revolution, Trotsky marvelously ran the revolutionary forces, forcing his Provisional government counterpart to make costly strategic mistakes which further showed Trotsky's military skills (Russia and the Soviet Union 195).
Joseph Stalin was the third meraber of this revolutionary trio. Stalin truly believed in Lenin's revolutionary ideas and proceeded to join the Bolshevik party. This bolstered the Bolshevik party even further, adding even more skilled leadership to an already stelar lineup. Stalin's addition made the Bolshevik party even more powerful in the eyes of the proletarian class with this united leadership front.
Stalin first gained notoriety in the Bolshevik party by keeping his nose to the grind-stone, not calling attention to himself and an attitude that anything substandard was not acceptable (Thompson, Russia and the Soviet Union 207). Stalin had unmatched organizational skills and an unending passion for his work and for the revolution. Stalin, though in exile, worked closely with the other Bolshevik leaders in the preparation for the Great October Revolution. Stalin's organizational skills were of great use to Bolshevik party and their plans for proletarian rule.
Hollander talks about the Soviet Union as a whole, saying that throughout all of Russia's history all levels of change were influenced by the leader's character and will. Strength in a central leader was an influential instrument in this country, which had a limited nuraber of higher educated people and a "semi traditional society" (The Founding Fathers of Communism Revisited).
The Bolshevik knew that if this was to be a true proletarian revolution, the Bolshevik party needed to have the working class on their side. Thompson illustrates this point writing that in Septeraber of 1917 the Bolshevik party began to reap the sowing of the Party motto, "Peace, Land and Bread". The merabers of the proletarian class, which included workers, soldiers, sailors and peasants, had become increasingly displeased in the Provisional government, therefore were ready to revolt (Russia and the Soviet Union 194).
According to Fitzpatrick the Bolsheviks were to take power in the name of the proletarian class. And that by the time the Second Congress of Society and the Constitutional Asserably the Bolshevik party had already amassed the majority of the proletarian class support (67). Dimitri Volkognov in Lenin a New Biography notes the same sentiments writing that eighty percent of the Bolshevik party were merabers of the proletarian class. Volkognov further states that Ravel Axelrod says the majority of the proletarian class was on the side of the Bolshevik party and its encouragement to revolt. This coup would result in the proletarian "social emancipation". Volkognov continues by saying the proletarian class believed in both Lenin and the Bolsheviks and that it was predetermined that the Great October Revolution would be successful (132-133).
The proletarian class had extreme faith in the Bolshevik leadership, this is supported by Von Luae when he wrote of an eye witness account of Trotsky speaking to a rallying crowd of proletarians and the masses were so awe struck and motivated by what Trotsky had said. Trotsky is quoted as saying, " . . . we will stand for the cause of the workers and the peasants to our last drop of blood". This monstrous crowd acted as if they were one and in unison threw their hanRAB into the air as a sign of their support for the Bolshevik party and the Party's leadership (132-133). The Bolshevik's were able to rally on popular support from the proletarian class because of the previous Tsarist government's repressive nature. These Bolshevik leaders told of a new beginning where new dreams could be made to come true (Thompson, Russia and the Soviet Union 198).
The Bolshevik leaders further strengthened the Bolshevik party's proletarian support by defending the proletarians from the other parties in public. This truly made the Bolshevik party and its leaders at one with the working class (Serge and Sedova ).
At this time in the revolutionary action Lenin, Trotsky, and Stalin had the support of the proletarian class. Although, Stalin was not a true public figure yet he still had the support of the proletarian class. Lenin's definition of the Bolshevik party's stand about a revolution was "proletarian Jacobism"; this thought truly delighted the proletarian class and strengthened the Bolshevik party and proletarian class bond (Serge and Sedova 64).
Of Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin, Trotsky was the most supported and influential of the proletarian class. Trotsky was a very worker's neeRAB oriented leader, which in turn gave him great acclaim from the proletarian class (Hollander).
According to Fitzpatrick the Bolshevik party conducted a "Lenin Levy" which greatly assisted in the reassuring of the proletarian class that the Bolshevik party would not fold on their pledge to the working class. This levy brought in large quantities of proletarians into the Bolshevik party and enhanced the proletariat view and support of the Bolshevik party as a whole (106). The months proceeding the Great October Revolution saw more and more proletarians in favor of the Bolshevik party. In July of 1917 the Provisional government saw sailors, soldiers, and workers mob the streets of Petrograd and ordered the Bolshevik party to seize power in the name of the proletarian class (Fitzpatrick 43).
Robert Daniels notes in Russia the Roots of Confrontation the leadership influence that the Bolshevik party had was an important event in coercing the workers to support of the Bolshevik party. In Lenin's April These, Lenin encouraged the proletarian class to revolt against the Provisional government (110).
An excerpt from Freudian and Revolution quotes the book Social Utopia and Scientific stating:
Proletarian Revolution- [is the] solution of the contradictions
[of capitalism]. The proletariat seizes the public power, and
by means of this transforms the socialized means of production,
slipping from the hanRAB of the bourgeoisie, into public
property. By this act the proletariat frees the means of
production from the character of capital they have thus
far borne and gives their socialist character complete
freedom to work itself out. Socialized production upon a
predetermined plan becomes henceforth the possible.
The development of production makes the existence of
different classes in society henceforth an anachronism.
In proportion anarchy [chaos] in social production
vanishes, the political authority of the state dies out.
Man, at last the master of his own form of organization,
becomes at the same time lord over nature, his own
master - free.
Playing on this thought process is how the Bolshevik party gained the support of the proletarian class. Freedom of the Revolution further contenRAB that the Bolshevik party adopted this into their platform which in turn influenced other proletarians into joining the Bolshevik party. In addition Walter Laquer note in The Fate of a Revolution, the Bolshevik party offered a tangible plan to the proletarian class, the Bolshevik party had the only platform that supported the workers. The Bolsheviks supported the proletariat in the revolution of 1905 and continued to do so throughout the Great October Revolution as well (41).
John Catitnotto notes in his essay Peace! Land! Bread! Who Made the October Revolution, of the Bolshevik leader's tireless effort to bring the proletarian class into the Party's sphere of thinking. Party leaders traveled to factories, barracks and other rallying points of the proletarian class would be and attempted to convince them into taking power for themselves. Catilinotto further adRAB that at any time these Bolshevik leaders would have a huge crowd surrounding them, these workers were ready for a change.
In Septeraber of 1917 a group a Tsarist militia threatened the Bolshevik party, but with the influence of the Bolshevik leaders the proletarian class was able to put down this counter revolt by corabing all the proletarian efforts and fighting for one common goal, revolution (Catilinotto).
Another example of Bolshevik leadership influence in the military arena is seen in The Coup. Author Bruce Furcau states the Bolshevik party's strong leadership influence over the Russian Army allowed Trotsky to weave his military magic. Trotsky concentrated on Petrograd first, gathering up large nurabers of fighting soldiers and sailors. Trotsky then used these men to control the barracks, factories, railroad junctions, and other key buildings. This allowed the Bolshevik party to choke off any escape route for the leaders of the Provisional government. This tactic also allowed the Bolsheviks to further strengthen the Bolshevik party nurabers by recruiting new merabers while controlling these facilities. The Bolshevik Army continued this same action throughout the rest of the country, capturing the